Many semiconductor die packages use clips instead of wires to form external connections to external terminals. Such semiconductor die packages are sometimes referred to as “wireless” packages. A typical wireless package includes a clip that is attached to a semiconductor die. Wireless packages generally have better electrical and thermal performance than packages that use wire-based electrical connections.
Typically, conventional wireless packages need to be designed into a customers' circuit boards, because the circuit boards have unique footprints and pin assignments. It would be desirable to provide for a semiconductor die package that has a footprint and pin assignment that can correspond to conventional package footprints and pin assignments, while still having good electrical and thermal performance.
Also, when producing wireless packages, it is often difficult to create a clip (e.g., a source clip) that has a deep downset. The “downset” of a clip may correspond to the vertical distance between a major portion of the clip to the lead portion of the clip. It would also be desirable to provide for a clip that has a deeper downset than conventional clips so that different types of packages can be produced.
Another problem that exists is the problem of applying inconsistent or uneven amounts of solder between the clip and the semiconductor die. When inconsistent or uneven amounts of solder are used between a die and a clip, the resulting packages may exhibit poor performance.
In addition to the above-noted problems, it will be advantageous to provide for a method that can be used to create a semiconductor die package quickly and reliably. The method is also preferably compatible with Pb-free processing.
Embodiments of the invention address the above problems and other problems.